Æon Flux (2005)

Director:

Karyn Kusama

Writers (WGA):

Phil Hay (written by) &
Matt Manfredi (written by) &
Peter Chung (characters)

Release Date:

2 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The Perfect World Meets The Perfect Assassin

Plot:

Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin working for the Monicans, a group of rebels trying to overthrow the government. When she is a sent on a mission to kill the Chairman, a whole new mystery is found.

Plot Keywords:

Future | Disease | Buxom | Dictator | Gun

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Sept. 12

3:30 AM

TNT

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Charlize Theron	...	Æon Flux
Marton Csokas	...	Trevor Goodchild
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Oren Goodchild
Sophie Okonedo	...	Sithandra
Frances McDormand	...	Handler
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Keeper
Amelia Warner	...	Una Flux
Caroline Chikezie	...	Freya
Nikolai Kinski	...	Claudius
Paterson Joseph	...	Giroux
Yangzom Brauen	...	Inari
Aoibheann O'Hara	...	Scientist
Thomas Huber	...	Scientist
Weijian Liu	...	Scientist
Maverick Quek	...	Chemist

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and sexual content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | UK:15 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | France:U | Brazil:14 | Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | Sweden:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42053) | South Korea:12 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:18SG

Filming Locations:

Babelsberg, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Famke Janssen turned down the lead role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the course of the movie, there are many repeated or recycled shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Æon Flux:[narrating] Some called Bregna the perfect society. Some call it the height of human civilization. But others know better. The Goodchilds built Bregna to ensure us a future. They built the Relico, a memorial to remind us of what we've survived. They built walls to protect us...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: Donkey Punch (#2.19)" (2006)

Like Fifth Element, without the humour

When I originally heard of Aeon Flux, it sounded absolutely terrible. The posters looked even worse. However, after seeing a trailer somewhere, I loved the look and bright colours (being easily pleased) and decided to give the movie a chance.

Aeon Flux is the story of a female, barely clothed rebel sent in to assassinate the ruler of a dystopian isolated city, which contains the entire remainder of mankind. Let's just say the plot is entirely unoriginal, a derivative of many other Sci-Fi movies and stories.

Charlieze Theron gets to prance around with an insect-like walk (her first appearance strongly reminded me of a praying mantis), salamander-like crawls, and other, animal-inspired, ballet-like movements. The world of Aeon Flux is drawn in bright, almost psychedelic colours, and it feels as if we glimpse only the tiniest part of this strange place. A lake of tears acts as CCTV for the entire city, pills exchanged in French kisses are used for telepathy, little pellets of liquid metal have a will of their own... A good chunk of the film is dazzling to watch, without any explanation behind it. Strictly speaking, Aeon Flux is about 80% futuristic fantasy, with very little science fiction in it. In fact, it sometimes feels as if the strangely organic gadgets of the rebels do not fit in this world - as the authorities seem to have more conventional technology and weapons.

What Aeon Flux succeeds at the most is dazzling the audience. Visually, stylistically, and with its energy and futuristic fantasy (and constantly underdressed heroine). In that, it reminds me strongly of Fifth Element - another film where we feel as if we only get a glimpse of a futuristic, colourful world full of strangely dressed people, without the need to explain or expose every aspect of it. However, Aeon Flux is less satisfying than Luc Besson's classic - because it lacks a sense of humour and takes itself too seriously (which, given the plot, is a bad move).

All in all, I would recommend the film to people who enjoy Fifth Element, bright colours, a sense of visual alienation, and unoriginal science fiction dressed up in a bright, original and almost unique coating.